


Consequences

by WittyMitty



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama, F/F, Friendship/Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-04-03 09:22:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4095553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WittyMitty/pseuds/WittyMitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Korra and Asami are best friends but Korra has been holding a secret. She's in love with Asami. Which is a slight problem since Asami already has a boyfriend. But then that problem turns into a bigger one after a night of hush confessions and lingering touches strains their friendship in order to deal with what's really going on between them.<br/>(Originally posted on FF.net. First three chapters will be edited chapters so please expect a change in the plot.) Modern AU- out of character.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wake up Korra

It was close to noon when Korra woke up that Saturday. She slept on her stomach, facing the wall with her arm hanging off the bed. Although her body yearned to be stretched out, Korra's mind still needed a few moments to gather itself. When it finally did, a low groan rumbled from the back of her throat as she threw her hands over her head and kicked her legs from underneath the bed sheets to perform a couple of stretching positions. In the process she noticed that although she still had her jeans on, her shirt and bra were gone. She rolled onto her back to sit up straight with sudden speed and grabbed the sheets to covered herself. "How...?"

The answer came to Korra at a slow crawl until she felt something, or maybe  _someone,_ shift in his/her sleep behind her, followed by a muffled groan. Korra felt more awake than ever now. She took in a good look at the room that wasn't hers just to make sure and on the floor she was able to recognize some articles of clothing and heels that definitely wasn't hers. Then finally her eyes laid on the sleeping figure beside her. 

Korra was left breathless. Beside her laid an unconscious and semi-bare Asami, snoring gently while laying on her side and facing Korra, who couldn't stop her cheeks from flushing at the close proximity even though them laying beside each other wasn't out of the norm. But before Korra realized it, she had turned her whole body completely to have a better look of the sleeping beauty in front of her. Asami's lips were slightly parted, with lipstick smudged all over. Korra stared in a daze as she lifted her hand to her own lips and checked her fingers, not at all surprised to find them stained with the same shade as Asami's lipstick but...

_That's a really good piece of evidence I need to get rid of right now._

Those azure orbs then glanced back to the sleeping figure. Asami's hair was a mess, a lovely mess. Korra knew she could lay there forever, but there was something else that had caught her eye. There was a dark, painful looking bruise on Asami's exposed shoulder, easily noticeable because of her light complexion. Every bit of color drained from Korra’s face when flashes of last night came to her. She knew she wasn't suppose to be here in the first place and ridiculed herself for falling asleep in the first place. Korra held her breath and stood completely still as Asami stretched her arm out to only lay it where Korra laid a few seconds ago. A big part of Korra wished she was still laying there but there was no helping that. She had to shake the thought away to fix the messy sheets on her side of the bed, making sure that there was no evidence that someone had laid there. Korra then looked back and forth for her clothes, slipping them on as she found them. There was a short period of panic when she couldn't locate her other sock but took it as a blessing from the spirits when she grabbed her jacket afterwards and found her keys and phone still inside the pockets.

Korra looked around herself as if sensing that she was in some kind of crime scene, although another part of her thought maybe she was overreacting. She decided to pick up all of Asami's clothes, yes even those red and very expensive feeling panties.  _Softer than a baby's butt_ , Korra thought to herself. She folded them neatly and set them all on a chair. She took one last look around the room to make sure nothing was out of place and decided she had done enough to leave now. Korra walked down the hall then turned left once she reached the family room. She had her hand on the doorknob and was almost set free when she heard a groan coming from Asami's bedroom.

Korra paused and weighed her options. She could leave right now and maybe make it to her car before Asami noticed. Or-

A louder groan was heard and Korra slumped her shoulders in defeat. The anxious young woman turned around and placed her jacket on a chair then went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Inside of Asami's medicine cabinet were the ibuprofen pills. With these two items, Korra believed she looked the part she had always played: a great friend.

She entered the bedroom to find Asami still sleeping. Perhaps there was a spirit out there that Korra made really happy and was giving her another chance to escape. That would be really nice of them. The tanned female smiled at the sleeping beauty then placed the glass of water and ibuprofen pills on the nightstand before leaving the room once again, this time successfully leaving out the front door.

 

* * *

 

Korra finally arrived to her own place, well, not just her own as she was renting it with Opal and Jinora. Opal most likely slept over at Bolin and Mako's place while Jinora stayed over with her family for the weekend. Korra could considered herself safe for the moment.

Korra went straight to the bathroom and turned on the shower. While waiting for the water to warm up, she took a good look at herself in the mirror. She looked exhausted, even more than how she actually felt and her lips were still stained with lipstick she didn't manage to completely wipe off. But that wasn't the most important thing to notice; her watertribe necklace, the only item worth carrying around 24/7 since it came from her parents back home, was missing. Korra began retracing her steps in her mind and remembered quite well that she had the habit of putting her necklace in her pants pocket before she would drink, just so nothing happens to it. Korra picked up her pants to inspect the front then the back pockets to find nothing but lint. She slapped her forehead with her palm, also recalling that she took the necklace out of her pocket before she passed out.

Korra sighed, turned away from the mirror to enter her shower and stood under the lukewarm water, rubbing herself with a bar of soap absentmindedly.

Was it really safe to leave Asami by herself? Korra was really starting to think she should've left more than just a glass of water and some painkillers. Maybe she should have left some food in the kitchen since knowing  _her,_ there would be nothing to eat.  _I mean,_   _there's no way she isn't going to have a hangover after all that drinking._

Korra turned off the shower water and stepped out while grabbing a towel nearby. She quickly dried herself and left the towel draped over her shoulders. After changing to some shorts and a loose shirt, she laid herself on her bed, her thoughts rushing back to continue where she had left off. It was only wishful thinking but Korra couldn’t see this friendship ending well if Asami did remember what happened last night. Korra felt her stomach clench uncomfortably from the guilt that was slowly showing itself, she was too careless last night. She should've left when she had the chance, made sure Asami was in bed and ran out. Had she done that instead of stayed when Asami asked her to, she wouldn't be in this situation.

Could Korra honestly say this wasn't fair? She was being selfish and took advantage of Asami when Korra knew her heart laid with someone else. There was no way she can take back the words she spoke while she tried to comfort Asami. It was only wishful thinking but Korra couldn’t see this friendship ending well if Asami did remember anything she said.

 

* * *

 

Two years ago Mako introduced Korra to Asami, his new girlfriend. It had been two month since Mako and Korra ended their relationship, though not with much say from Korra’s part. But even Korra had to admit now, that she acted childish the first couple of weeks after meeting Asami.

Asami was perfect and Korra hated her for it. It was the insecurities that got the best of Korra and led from one mistake to another. One incident, in particularly, Korra had ended up too drunk for her own good and kissed Mako under the false pretense that he was giving her 'signals' all night. Luckily for her, Asami never found out and Mako never made a comment about it either. Though it was mistake Korra was ashamed of committing, it had also helped her realized that Mako and her weren’t meant to be. However, still seeing how happy those two were, was hard until eventually some good came out of it.

It took some effort, mainly from Asami but eventually Korra was able to warm up to her and learn a a lot. The raven-haired beauty showed Korra that she was like none of those things Korra use to call her (never out loud of course). Asami was more than just a 'prissy, elegant, rich' girl, she was brilliant, considerate and a great spar partner. She had achieve so much, despite not having her parents around as support. Her mother was murdered during an attempted robbery when Asami was only six years old and although she still had her father, he handled his wife's passing by burying himself in work. When Asami first told Korra, she was speechless. Not only was Korra guilty for judging an incredible person when they had just met, but she was also shocked to discover that she had become someone Asami can rely on.

Their friendship grew from there with good timing seeing as Asami and Mako were having troubles with their relationship. Mako spent too many late nights at his detective office while Asami was never home during the day with managing her father's business. So when Asami had enough of their arguments, she would make the drive to Korra's place 20 minutes away and vented.

"I wish he was more like you Korra," Asami sighed while taking a sip of the expensive wine she brought.

"Do you want me to help him tone his abs?" Korra suggested.

"No...well maybe" Asami laughed. "I would just really appreciate it if he would listen to me the way you do."

The statement made Korra smile. "Mako can be a real idiot. To be honest we fought all the time before we broke up. It's no wonder it ended horribly," she paused, glancing over to Asami to find her giggling, she already told the emerald-eyed beauty the story many times before. "Has he ever explained that hole in the wall?" Korra's smile grew wider the more Asami laughed, both of them knowing the answer to that very well.

After several moments of letting Asami have her fun, Korra went on. "We were never patient with each other to begin with. I admit I knew that was one of our problems but I never thought I could do anything about it. I was wrong to think like that. Asami, be patient with him okay?"

"You're seriously the best Korra," Asami leaned over to kiss Korra's cheek uncharacteristically. The stench of alcohol was hard to miss.

Korra could only manage to give a nod while her cheek burned. No way would have Asami do that if she was sober, Korra mused as she looked over to the half-empty bottle of wine they both shared. Korra wanted to believe that she didn't need to look so deep into something her friend did while she was drunk.

Korra was wrong however, the closer they became the more affectionate Asami proved to be. Sometimes they would hold hands while they were out, share drinks, or change in the same dressing room. Korra was put into several situation where her sanity was put to the test. There was a point where Korra could no longer stand to be in denial, so Asami claimed victory while Korra accepted that she had fallen for her best friend.

For a year, Korra has felt this way. By now she had accepted her one-sided feelings and continued to play her role to her best ability without compromising their friendship. But if there was one thing Korra was sure of, it was the fact that her feelings weren't going to go away anytime soon. Which of course didn't make anything easier for Korra, but she figured it was the least she can do to ensure Asami's happiness with Mako.

* * *

 

By the time Korra woke up from her nap, it was already late into the afternoon. She groaned when she heard her phone go off as well as the doorbell. She rolled off of bed and went to get the door first. On the other side was Opal on the phone. She appeared annoyed as she hung up the call. "You look dead," was her way of greeting her half-asleep roommate.

"Hm?" was Korra's clever reply.

"Why are you still sleeping? Don't tell me you and Asami went crazy last night when you dropped her off," Opal joked while tossing her jacket on the couch and heading straight towards the kitchen. "We have no more milk."

Korra did her best to laugh while she was lost in her thoughts. How exactly was she supposed to admit to the short-haired girl that the matter which she had joked about felt more like a punch to her gut. Was that what they did? No, Korra knew there were things to be sorry about in her part but surely she wasn't the only one to blame. Asami reaction made Korra feel that for the first time, her feelings weren't a hindrance to their friendship. And maybe that was where she made her second mistake. 

"Korra, no milk," the younger female repeated herself.

"O-oh okay, I'll get some in a bit." Korra locked the front door and went straight to her room without looking at Opal. Her face felt hot and she didn't trust herself to have a normal conversation with her roommate right now, not when she was in constant battle with herself.

 

* * *

 

Korra stepped outside her front door and checked her watch before starting off with a slow jog. This time she had no organized map planned in her head, she kept steady with her pace and took whichever turns came her way. 

Bolin seemed to have arrived a little before Korra and was making himself comfortable at home in the refrigerator like usual. She came up from behind him and laid the gallon of milk on top of his brawny head, forcing the hungry young man to keep still.

"Korraaaa," Bolin let out a whine then tilted his head, controlling the angle of the fall and caught the gallon of milk with both hands. He frowned at Korra who was sipping a glass of water with a smirk.

Korra sat herself on the kitchen counter. "Weren't you with Opal all night and morning? You love birds sure don't get sick of each other," she mumbled.

Bolin placed the gallon of milk inside the refrigerator then shrugged. "She wants to go out to eat which makes sense because you have no food!” Korra couldn’t argue with that. “And there's no way I can get bored of looking at such a beautiful face." Korra rolled her eyes at Romeo and tried to change the subject before he got started.

"How did Mako wake up?"

"In a horrible mood. As usual,” Bolin waved it off before looking at his friend with apologetic eyes. "Sorry for last night. I know he said he wasn't going to drink so he can keep an eye on Asami but you ended up watching over the both of them."

"Don't even worry about it, you had your hands full with Opal anyways.” Korra’s eyebrows scrunched up at the memory of her friends acting like complete fools around her. “Don’t you think it’s weird though? I can’t remember the last time Mako got wasted like that,” Korra wondered out loud with the rim of her glass touching her lips.

Bolin took a banana from the fruit bowl, shrugging nonchalantly, "He’s been complaining about work but if you ask me…” He took a huge bite from the banana as he leaned in closer to Korra as if to share top-secret information with her. Korra waited as he chewed and swallowed before he spoke up again, “It probably has to do with Asami. He told me they haven’t had sex since Rohan's birthday party."

Korra leaned back, almost chocking on her water, from the sudden news. "S-seriously?" She did her best to gather herself. _Wow three weeks._ This was something she wasn't sure she wanted to know but couldn't help but be curious about.

Bolin raised an eyebrow, "Asami didn't tell you?"

Korra was about to answer until Opal appeared in the kitchen and swatted at the tanner woman's knee. "Off." The younger girl commanded. Korra threw a playful glare before hopping off the counter. She was hoping to get more out of Bolin but knew he was plenty distracted by Opal now. She waved to them as they left for their lunch date and headed to her room with her thoughts. All of them, of course, having to do with Asami.

 

* * *

 

Following shortly after knocking on Asami’s front door, Korra heard her best friend shuffling around. The anticipation was killing her and her poor heart. Her palms were sweaty as she shifted from one foot to another. Another second had passed by and Korra became very determined to call it a day if Asami didn’t open the door in the next five seconds.

_Five…_

The front door whipped open.

“Korra?” Asami was on the other side, wearing only sweats and a loose fitted shirt. Her facial features bare and without make up. She was clearly dealing with a nasty hungover but to Korra she was still gorgeous in every way. So gorgeous in fact, her mind was close to short circuiting if Asami didn’t mutter a couple of profanities. “Ugh great.” They both looked down at Asami’s tea-stained shirt.

Korra quickly stepped over, her eyebrows furrowed with worry. “You okay?”

“I’m fine, it wasn’t that hot. Just get in here,” Asami reached forward to take Korra’s bicep to lead her inside and close the door behind them. “There is still some hot water if you want to make yourself tea.”

“Tha-“, Korra had turned her head slightly towards Asami to only feel like her own brain had shut down completely in that split second of watching Asami peel her shirt off. Korra had quickly turned herself around but wasn’t able to dispel the haunting memories of last night.

“Let me just get another shirt, I’ll be right back.”

And so Korra was left with her thoughts again. Asami’s reaction wasn’t anything like Korra predicted which gave her a slimmer of hope. The shorter woman exhaled a breath she wasn’t aware of holding and walked towards the kitchen to make herself tea, hoping it would do the job to calm her racing heart. Raava knows, how much she needed it.

Asami joined her in the kitchen several minutes later, fully clothed, much to Korra’s relief. Korra watched from the corner of her eye while Asami leaned over her kitchen counter, taking the occasional sip of her own tea and every now and then would let out an audible sigh. Korra couldn’t stand to wait any longer. Was she or was she not in trouble?

“Sooo…how are you feeling?”

"Like I was recently brought up from the dead," Asami groaned but managed to give Korra a small smile that made her stomach do several flips. "Thank you for last night.”

"Ha…anytime?” Korra’s eye twitch from her unsettled nerves. “Does that mean you remember everything?”

Asami took another sip, as if to give herself a few seconds before answering. “No…last thing I can remember was taking shots with Opal and Mako passing out first.” Those thin eyebrows furrowed, obviously deep in thought. “I don’t even remember coming home.”

Korra’s shoulders slouched with relief.

“Mako told me you were the one who dropped me off. I hope I didn’t throw up in your car.”

“Are you two…?” Korra wasn’t completely confident if this was the right time but- “You guys haven’t had sex in a while.”

There was a pause from Asami, long enough for Korra to start regret bringing it up. "You know how he can be when an investigation isn't going his way. Besides I can't stay up to wait for him with work the next day so we just haven't gotten to it."

Korra nodded though she wondered why Asami hadn't told her about it if she was able to answer it easily as she did just now. But maybe Korra should feel grateful for that and for the fact that Asami had no recollection of last night. It seemed like everything was going smoothly. Maybe she didn't need to feel like the biggest embarrassment to set foot on earth.

The doorbell rang. “That’s probably him. He said he was going to bring some food but I doubt he’ll stay to eat,” Asami excused herself while Korra stayed in the kitchen. By now Korra was accustomed to seeing the couple together but today was different, of course. The tanned female felt the guilt begin to chew at her insides. If she could hardly make eye contact with Asami on her own how was Korra going to face the both of them? Fortunately, she managed to keep herself in the kitchen while the couple talked in the living room, only making her presence known when Mako yelled his greetings.

Korra took a sip her tea when she heard the front door closed. Asami reappeared with a bag of Narook’s take-out and placed it on the kitchen counter. There was some silence that made Korra think she should speak up. Instead, Asami grabbed the plates and smiled at Korra, who was caught red-handed of watching her from the corner of her eye. Korra immediately looked straight ahead though every bit of her being alerted how close Asami was now. She felt Asami’s breath against her ear, "Have lunch with me?"

Those clear azure eyes blinked once. "Of course," she was able to reply with a squeak. She cleared her throat as she continued, "I'm only here for the free food."

Asami perked up almost immediately and laughed as she leaned away to grab the glasses for their drinks. "Mako feels bad for last night by the way, he promised he'll be the designated driver next time."

"Asshole should feel bad," Korra grumbled, seeing as though she wouldn't be in the most awkward situation in her life if it wasn't for his carelessness. She then began to fill her plate with food and made sure Asami's plate was completely full to help with the hangover. They moved to the living room and sat on the couch while they watched 'Nutuck: Hero of the South'. Bolin didn't know this but the girls had a great time watching his early films, mostly laughing at the whole plot.

Every now and then, Korra would glanced at her beautiful best friend, but each time she was reminded of last night. It wasn't surprising to Korra that she hadn't put some of the blame on her best friend. Worry and guilt had taken up most of Korra's appetite so she had to focus more on the appearance of having a good time. Asami, on the other hand, was getting back her color and those tired eyes began to sparkle once again. The movie had ended and Asami once again chimed in that the DVD should have included bloopers. Korra smiled and laughed even though Asami had said that every single time they watched the movie.

Suddenly Asami's make-up less features twisted up with a frown as she noticed Korra's plate. Korra caught her best friend glance and quickly thought up an excuse. "I ate a bit before coming here."

Those emerald orbs stayed on Korra. The image of Asami's mouth open, begging Korra to take her popped into Korra's thoughts. She fought the urge to shake her head in an attempt to physically push away those thoughts. Was this really how it was going to be now for Korra? How much longer could she deal with this?

"I’ll have you take half of the leftovers or else it’ll go to waste in my fridge," Asami said while she picked up her own plate then Korra's to take to the kitchen.

Korra stayed put in her seat and used the private opportunity to hold her head in her hands, in efforts to keep herself together. She wasn't sure how much she can take, she wanted to leave but at the same time stay. Her thoughts were a mess, was it okay to tell Asami now before she remembered? In all honesty, Korra would rather throw this under the rug because she knew what she will be forced to hear Asami's thoughts about her. 

After several minutes of relative quietness, Asami spoke from the kitchen. "Hey Korra?"

"Y-yes?!" her voice an octave higher while she whipped her head up.

"Can you come here, I, uh, need to show you something." Korra furrowed her eyebrows. She got up and did her best to shut up her busy mind. When she arrived at that kitchen, Asami turned to her with a shaky smile. "I can't remember much of last night," she admitted with a blush then started to pull the collar of her shirt to reveal the dark mark Korra noticed when she woke up. The shorter woman swallowed a lump in her throat. "I'm worried about this," Asami muttered.

Korra felt her throat go dry, her heart feeling ready to burst with the sudden realization that Asami did remember. What was going to happen to them now? Were they going to be okay? Her chapped lips parted, a train of apologies ready to be said.

"Uhm, you don't think I cheated on Mako last night right?" Asami whispered lowly even though it was only the two of them.

“Uh…” Korra didn’t know what to say, not when just a few seconds ago she was sure she was going to lose her life. Her heart was still racing as if to warn her to tread carefully. And it was right, just because Asami wasn't suspicious of Korra, didn't mean she was out of the woods just yet. Except, having Asami believe she had cheated in any way wasn't something Korra was comfortable with either, and that wasn't what happen at all. 

She cleared her throat, "Okay, that's a bruise not a hickey. Just look at it," Asami opened her mouth to argue before Korra cut her off. "Trust me 'Sami. I would never let a guy near you that we didn't trust." She made sure to give the worry woman in front of her a crooked grin. "Pretty sure they wouldn't be able to handle you anyways."

Asami scoffed and crossed her arms in front though it was obvious she didn’t take offense to statement. They were both clearly aware of her wild drunk side. Korra was just relieved to see Asami had believe her, but also knew that she had dug her grave a little deeper with the white lie.

"I'm so glad to have you Korra, but knowing me I probably tried to kiss you too."

Korra didn't have the reflex to stop her blush which ended up making Asami laugh. The brunette pouted and began to poke at her best friend. "You shouldn't be getting that wasted in the first place, now apologize."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Asami threw her hands up, looking apologetic. Korra knew better than to fall for it, especially when she noticed the mischievous smirk appearing on those soft lips a second later. "So what you think? Impressive skills right?"

The brunette female coughed into her hand, refusing to answer that as her cheeks flared up. She heard her best friend giggle as she passed by, declaring she was going to take a shower now that the headache was gone. Korra stood where she was, her guilt resurfacing but she held her composure only until she heard the water running, then slumped against the kitchen counter and released a heavy sigh.

 _Why why why?_ Korra had the violent urge to slam her head against a wall. She couldn’t believe the amount of _shit_ she just got herself into. She already knew the kind of trouble she was in for being in love in the first place and having to lie about it. But then last night had to happen and Korra couldn't suppress the amount of regret she had for keeping up with that lie.

 


	2. Wake Up Asami

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second half to the intro. Asami's PoV.

Want to know what’s worse than waking up with a deadly hangover?

Nothing. Nothing was worse and unfortunately Asami had to find that out the hard way. The awful pounding in her skull was incredibly hard to miss. Her stomach hurt, her body ached and still, she had zero motivation to do anything about it. Whatever she did to deserve this pain, she regretted it. After what felt like an eternity, but really was only a couple of minutes, Asami turned her head and opened her eyes, only to shut them again when the sunlight and the white walls in her room proved to be too much. 

Another minute passed and this time when Asami opened her eyes, she lucked out and saw the glass of water and painkillers on her nightstand beside the bed. The hungover female sighed in relief, said a quick ‘thank you’ to no one in particular, and reached out for the ibuprofen pills. She turned to lay on her side and lift herself up with her elbow to swallow the pills first. Asami grabbed the glass of glorious water next and tested herself with small sips. The cool water did wonders on her raw throat and Asami kept sipping until the glass was empty.

Then she laid back down in bed and closed her eyes again. She decided to wait for the painkillers to kick in so it’d be easier to go to the bathroom, but in the meantime, she allowed her mind to wander.

 _What time is it?_ _Did I undress myself before I went to sleep?_ _How did I even get home?_

It wasn't unusual that she couldn't remember a lot the morning after a night of drinking and partying and she knew that in time, everything would come to her. For now, she would need to focus on taking care of herself.  _  
_

Asami sat up begrudgingly once the pounding in her temples were reduced to dull throbs. The bed sheets were thrown to the side. She rolled her neck and gathered her strength to stand up. Once she did, she had to fight through the wave of nausea that threaten to overwhelm her completely. The tired woman reached for the nightstand to keep herself steady then took a few steps toward her dresser to slowly slip on a fresh pair of underwear and a long loose-fitted shirt. Asami noticed her purse on top of the dresser and began to look through it until she found her phone. A smile slowly appeared when she read the text she received a couple hours ago from her boyfriend, Mako. She quickly typed and sent a response then connected her phone to the charger.

She hadn't expected Mako to be up yet because from what Asami could remembered about last night, her boyfriend was just as active as she expected herself to have been. Which was fine. Mako had a very stressful job and Asami understood, first hand, how suffocating all that stress can be. If alcohol didn't already do a damn fair job at helping her forget her responsibilities, she would have taken up yoga. 

When Asami entered her bathroom, it only took one glance at her reflection in the mirror to be in complete awe of herself. Her eyes were bloodshot, her make-up was smudged, and her hair was a complete mess. She hoped she didn't leave the club looking like this.

Asami pulled her hair into a ponytail and turned on the sink to wash her hands. Afterwards, she took out the needed material to wipe off the makeup that was left on her face. She leaned closer to the mirror in order to inspect her reflection furthermore and raised her hand to touch her cheek which was smeared with her lipstick. It was at that moment, out of the corner of her eye, Asami caught something suspicious on her shoulder where her top was sliding off.

Those bright green eyes widened before the collar of the loose shirt was tugged off her shoulder. Asami hoped her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her but lo’ and behold…a bruise. Asami felt her heart dropped to her stomach with the sudden realization that she may have taken it too far last night. But she refused to break down over this. For one, that particular hurt whenever she touched it, it had to be caused by trauma, not by...

Asami shook of those haunting thoughts and instead picked up her toothbrush and toothpaste to brush her teeth. She didn’t spend a lot of time focusing on her reflection this time, since she was now aware that she looked just as bad as she felt. But every now and then, her eyes would linger on the dark bruise visible on her shoulder. After washing up, she walked back to her bedroom and picked up the phone on her bed to check if she received a text. She did, and three missed calls. She pressed the “call back” button and went to her dresser to grab some sweats.

“Morning beautiful,” Mako greeted as soon as he answered. A simple, loving, and incredibly easy to misinterpret kind of greeting. Asami murmured back a ‘good morning’.

It didn't seem like Mako was so upset that Asami had a hangover and admitted that he had one too. He went on explaining how sorry he was, since he told her that night that he wasn’t going to drink, and asked if she was busy later.

At least one of them woke up in a good mood. And if Mako was in a good mood, then so was Asami.

“No, I’ll be home all day,” Asami told him. She felt relieved when Mako sounded even more cheerful than before. They talked for a little more after that and Asami took the chance to ask who took her home.

"Korra did, remember?"

She didn't remember but now thinking of it, that answer was pretty obvious. They hung up once Asami heard Bolin on the other line, already awake and boastful as usual. No soon after the phone call conversation ended, she received a text from Mako. She read it and smiled. Its true Mako had never been great at expressing himself with words but Asami knew that the little things he did was his way of making it up to her. For now, she believed it was enough to keep her happy. So she allowed herself to be excited, and slightly hesitant, when her boyfriend promised to bring them both lunch from their favorite place and spend the rest of the day with her. 

 

* * *

 

It was such a beautiful day that Asami found herself staring out the window whilst sipping her warm tea. Her hangover symptoms were more or less tolerable compared to when she first woke up. And earlier, she had managed to force herself to eat a banana and half a granola bar to help her empty stomach. Now she stood close to the window to wait patiently for her loving boyfriend to arrive with more food. 

Patience was a tiring thing however. And so were Asami’s insecurities. But if that wasn’t enough, the ugly feelings of guilt began to show itself.

Since realizing how troublesome it was to not have much recollections of last night, Asami’s mind worked hard to think of every single thing possible to fill in the gaps. Most of them weren’t pleasant and did a better job at worsening her guilt than comforting it. Because of this, Asami felt nervous about asking Mako for his side of the story while they were on the phone. 

Asami whipped her head back when she heard the doorbell go off. She walked over to the door, stood up straight and took in a deep breath before turning the knob.

“Korra?” Asami hadn’t expected to find her best friend on the other side but that didn’t make her any less thrilled. What amazing timing! Asami opened the door wider to only have it knocked into her tea mug with its contents spilling on her. She took a step back, cursing in the process, and did her best to wipe her shirt, “Ugh, great.” Now what did she do to deserve that?

Asami waved off Korra's concern, not at all worried since the tea wasn’t too hot in the first place but now she was feeling twice as self-conscious since she hadn’t taken a shower yet. If she knew her day was going to be like this she would have stayed in bed. Instead she dragged her best friend inside, who was still standing at her doorway like a normal guest instead of her partner in crime. Asami knew she couldn't waste this opportunity.

 

* * *

 

After changing into a new shirt, Asami went to her kitchen and found Korra already making herself at home. She smiled then went on to refill her mug and leaned over her kitchen counter. Korra spoke a few seconds after, successfully pulling Asami out of her thoughts before she was trapped in them, “Sooo, how are you feeling?”

Asami felt like death and said it like such. She didn’t forget to thank her best friend for watching over her again and knew this was a good time to talk about last night. Although it seemed like Korra had questions of her own, the conversation suddenly shifted to Mako and without warning Korra blurted out something Asami was sure she hadn't told her of yet.

"You guys haven't had sex in a while."

Asami rubbed her temple because there was a fifty-fifty chance that could be true or not (since last night is still a blur) and she was still preoccupied with finding out which was it. She also wondered if Korra was upset about hearing it from someone else.

The doorbell went off again, Asami excused herself quickly and made sure she regained her composure completely before opening the front door. Mako stood on the other side with a small smile while holding up their lunch. "Hey, special delivery for a hungover Sato."

Asami smiled at her caring boyfriend. She stood up on her toes to kiss the handsome male's cheek and stepped aside to let him in. Her guilt began to creep in slowly and she unconsciously made sure her top hid the bruise on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I just…" Mako's smile fell once he stepped inside. Asami stood there, looking as patient as she could. She could see the wheels turning in her boyfriend’s head. "The investigation is really taking a turn for the worst. I need to be there."

She couldn't stop herself from showing her disappointment. She already prepared herself about the possibility that Mako wouldn't stay to have lunch with her but she really hoped that at some point he wouldn't be so predictable. There were so many things going wrong with their relationship, that it takes twice the effort to find the good out of them.

He pulled her into a comforting hug that didn’t feeling comforting at all, “I’m going to make it up to you. I promise."

"It’s fine.” 

“Are you going to be alright on your own? How’s the hangover right now? Maybe you should call Korra, she’s probably awake already,” Mako advised and Asami nodded absent-mindlessly. Mako’s usual sharp features that made him appear serious all the time were replaced with an expression of guilt and equal disappointment. It took a couple of seconds but Asami understood that he was looking forward to their day together just as much as she was. He was a good guy and he was trying, Asami realized she couldn’t blame him for this.

“I’ll come back as soon as I get a break to check on you okay?”

Asami shook her head with a small, only slightly, forced smile, “Mako, I’ll be fine. Korra is already here and this isn’t my first hangover.” She watched Mako look behind her and around the living room searching for Korra.

“She’s in the kitchen,” Asami hinted. Mako said his greetings loud enough that Korra responded in the same fashion.

The couple shared a quick kiss before Mako apologized again and closed the door on his way out. Asami stood there with that smile plastered on her face, letting it fall when she was in the clear, then walked back to the kitchen with the take-out bag and the contents inside.

 

* * *

 

Neither one had said a word since Asami returned. Not that she was complaining, Korra's presence brought more comfort than Mako would have in this case. She looked over the take-out boxes of food then grabbed two plates for the both of them. She looked at Korra with a smile before coming to her short friend's side.

"Have lunch with me?" Asami whispered against Korra’s ear, hoping she didn't seem desperate for company. Korra muttered a reply that made Asami smile wider. She stepped aside when her dark-skinned companion took over on serving their plates, raising an eyebrow when her plate ended up looking more filled than the other. She wasn't sure which one was which and when Korra handed her the plate with the most food, she gave her best friend a look.

"You'll feel better with a full stomach, I promise." 

Which is what exactly happened. One empty plate and a Nuk Tuk mover later, Asami felt close to her normal self. As it turned out, what Asami really needed was food, a comedy mover and her best friend beside her.

It wasn’t until Asami was back in the kitchen alone that she remembered why she had wanted Korra to stay in the first place. While she began to fill up a glass container with leftovers for Korra, her hands started to tremble. If Korra knew something, Asami had no doubt she would tell her. Yet she was still terrified to hear the worst. After taking a deep breath, she called out to the young woman in her living room, noting the slight tremor in her own voice as she asked for Korra to meet her in the kitchen. She took in a deep breath before Korra poked her head in the entrance way. She turned around and tugged on the collar of her top to show Korra the bruise with a couple of barely audible mumbles.

"Uhm, you don't think I cheated on Mako right?" Asami felt her chest tightened up uncomfortably. It was one thing to think about it, but saying it out loud for both females to hear, made Asami truly believe that she had done a terrible thing.

“Uh… Okay, that's a bruise not a hickey. Just look at it.”

Asami knew what she was looking at, but the fact that she couldn't remember anything...she wanted to say something. Korra cut her off.

”Trust me 'Sami. I would never let a guy near you that we didn't trust. Pretty sure they wouldn’t be able to handle you anyways.” Asami crossed her arms and was tempted to roll her eyes when she noticed the crooked grin playing on Korra’s lips, proof that she was only teasing the raven-haired beauty. She pursed her lips, only spending a couple of seconds in her own thoughts because she wholeheartedly wanted to believe in Korra. Well, at least believed in the fact that her best friend didn’t know anything. 

For now, however, Asami thought it was best to shift the subject a bit, as she didn’t want to appear too worry about it. “I'm so glad to have you Korra, but knowing me I probably tried to kiss you too”, Asami shot her flustered friend a cheeky smile before bursting into a good laugh as she was assaulted with pokes. They bantered for a little bit before Asami realized she still haven't taken a shower but felt up for it now that she had sobered up. As she made her way out of the kitchen, she made sure she got the last word in, teasing Korra the only way she knew was most effective.

 

* * *

 

Asami spent the next half hour in pure bliss. She made sure to scrub every part of her body, getting rid of the grime that was sweat and alcohol. The hot water felt great on her sore limbs and tired body. When it came time to turning off the water, Asami was a tiny bit hesitant to leave her slice of heaven but knew she couldn’t leave Korra waiting any longer. She stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her torso tightly and headed straight to her massive mirror. She wiped off the condensation off her mirror just enough to take a look at her make-up less features until she decided that she felt and look good enough to show her face again.

Now in her bedroom, Asami searched through her wardrobe for comfortable clothes, not noticing that she was going through her third outfit for the day. A smile tugged on her lips when she heard Korra talk to the TV in the living room. 

She thought of Korra as her dearest silliest most compassionate friend in the whole world.

They had been best friends for over a year, close to each other to even change in the same dressing room. The reason why she loved Korra so much was because of who she was. Since they became friends, Asami knew Korra was someone she could depend on. This was the kind of friendship Asami had longed for since she was a child, but growing up with grand wealth had always made other kids conscious and nervous around her. Once people found out she was related to Hiroshi Sato, inventor of the Satomobile and CEO of Future industries, they would behave differently around young Asami. Even Mako had reacted similarly to others when she first told him. Korra, however, responded indifferently, though we could all take a guess why.  
  
Asami and Mako had been seeing each other for several weeks before he suggested that Asami meet his friends. This was a big deal for her, she wasn't so worried that they wouldn't like her but she hoped that they would treat her like they would treat Mako. He had always talked about his friends with adoration, telling Asami stories of Bolin's and Korra's craziest moments to the point where she felt like she knew them personally. Asami knew Mako thought of his friends like family and it was actually one of the many things that stood out to her about the handsome male. So she nodded and smiled warmly to his suggestion.

"I can't wait."

A couple days later they met up with the group at a restaurant Asami never been to. It was called Narook's, fine cuisine from the cold south. She was impressed with the meal and hadn't at all expected the warm welcoming from Mako's friends. Well, from most of them. Younger Korra sat herself on the farthest corner and spent the entire time stabbing her food with a pout. Several times Asami had tried to engage with Korra in a conversation but only received grunts and curt nods.

"I'm sorry for the way Korra acted. I guess maybe it was too soon to meet all of them." Mako frowned once he and Asami were back at his place.

Asami pulled him down to kiss his cheek and shook her head. She wasn't going to blame him for his ex-girlfriend's behavior. "I'm really happy I met them, Mako. They are amazing people," she said with a smile.

At first she wasn't even sure she should try to be friends with her boyfriend's ex, who had no shame of openly expressing her jealousy in a childish manner. It was frustrating, as well as draining, to deal with Korra's antics every time they all hung out but Mako begged that she should try to get along since Korra was as much of an important person of the group as Asami was. But how was she going to win over the lively female? The answer didn't really come to Asami until Korra pointed out something very useful about herself: she never ran away from a fight.

So Asami challenged her to a duel. And then the next day, they were in her personal gym inside the Future Industries HQ. Perks of being the boss.

"You sure about this?" Korra asked as she unzipped her hoodie, revealing her tone and intimidating arms. 

Asami stood on the other side of the training mat while putting her hair up in a pony-tail. She shrugged, "We could always settle for getting a manicure instead." She did her best to hide her grin at Korra's disgusted expression because Asami already knew what the shorter woman thought of her: prissy and stuck up. Which was why Asami was sure this plan would worked the best to win Korra over.

What she didn't expect was Korra's strength, Asami ended up being on the defensive longer than she would have liked. Her original plan was to put up a fight to show her worth then let Korra win the match but as it carried on, Asami felt her competitive-self rear its head. So out went plan A.

The match went on for several minutes and it didn't matter how many times Asami was able to throw her opponent off guard, Korra would just bounce back with counterattacks. In the end, it took only one mistake from Asami’s part for Korra to take full advantage of and pin her to floor to end the match but both parties were too focused to catch their breaths afterwards to analyze the end results.

Korra was the first to recover and stood up to gather her things then left, all of this without saying a word. Asami didn’t know what to feel except disappointment. Martial arts was one of the few things they had in common and she had hoped that after the match they could spend some time talking about it. What was she supposed to do now? She felt hopeless and upset because she knew she starting to warm up to Korra faster than Korra was warming up to her. A couple days later though, Korra was at her front door asking for another sparring match.

From that day on, they mutually worked on getting to know each other. It took some time for their friendship to reach where they were today but when it did Asami was overjoyed. She couldn’t remember a time she ever felt so close to someone around her age that was also a female who she could talk to about anything. Mako may be her beloved boyfriend, but there were boundaries.

Asami was even more pleased when Korra finally let her in about her break up with Mako, something no one in the group would speak to Asami about.

"He was acting weird for a couple of days so I went over one night and...I don’t know! I got really mad and then he broke up with me.”

“Is this why you guys fight all the time?” Asami asked.

Korra’s eye twitch and Asami knew what was coming next. “He was so- ugh! He wouldn’t even let me in at first. I know he isn’t good with words but he made it seem like the break up was all my fault,” Korra puffed and laid her chin on the dinner table in Asami’s living room. She reached for her half empty glass of wine and took a long sip before asking for a refill.

Asami hummed, filling up her best friend's glass while she ranted on. It made sense now why Mako never wanted to explain the break up. She was disappointed in her boyfriend but also understood Korra could have handled the break up more maturely. “I guess that explains the hole in the wall.”

“Like I said, I got really mad.” 

“Wow.” 

“Oh hold on.” Asami held on until Korra continued after a short pause. “You think that’s why he’s always yelling at me? I told him I'm not paying for that.” Asami shrugged with no verbal reply while trying her hardest not to smile. 

She was truly content with the way their friendship ended up playing out. It was mutual and after all the effort they put into it, it made Asami confident that they could handle anything and remain friends.  

  

* * *

 

They spent the rest of the afternoon well into the evening, laughing and reminiscing (Korra did most of the story-telling) about the night before. As it was getting closer to 9 in the afternoon, Asami checked and rechecked her phone for any new text messages.

"He's not coming over after work?" Korra spoke, looking over Asami’s shoulder.

Asami shrugged, not entirely sure she wanted to go back to the topic about her crumbling relationship.

"Let’s just wait a little longer,” Korra suggested.

Asami gave Korra with a small tired smile then scooted closer to her precious friend and laid her cheek comfortably on Korra's strong shoulder. "Mako's an idiot," She grumbled when she couldn't handle being quiet anymore.

“Really?” Korra gasped, feigning ignorance much to Asami's amusement. The raven-haired beauty smiled to herself, a little wider now, and cuddled up to Korra's side, growing aware of how tired she felt. Asami then briefly wondered if Korra would be willing to stay the night but decided against it as she was worried about how lonely she would appear.

Asami let out a sigh then closed her eyes before she spoke up again, "Who needs a busy boyfriend anyways when I got my best friend?"

“Does that mean you’re not still worried about the-“,

Asami cut Korra off by pinching her side. It was super effective.

Korra recovered quickly however, “I’m sorry, that was a stupid question.”

“It’s fine. I’m just sorry you have to listen to me complain about this all the time.” Asami yawned distractedly until Korra’s next outburst took her by surprise.

“No! I didn’t mean-!" Asami look at her with a raised eyebrow, she noticed Korra looking away for a moment. “You’re my best friend.”

Asami wasn’t sure what she was expecting Korra to say but she gave her favorite person in the whole world a more sincere smile then the last then leaned against her warm body again. And besides, it wasn’t like Asami was upset in the first place. She closed her eyes and instead focused on the somewhat steady pace of Korra’s breathing. She felt more tired than ever and hoped that Korra wouldn't move until she fell asleep. Which she did and when she woke up the next morning, she was back in her bed, with the strangest sense of déjà vu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really need to manage my time better. Onto editing Chapter 3! Thanks for those who came from FF.net to check out the rewrite and of course thank you so much for the support, comments and criticism. I can't promise the other chapters would be as long as these two.


	3. Run Korra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra has spent the week wondering what she should say to Asami. Until one evening, Asami shows up without warning and wanting to talk. What could it be about?

Korra had an early start today, she woke up and did her morning exercise, went to work then headed straight home. It was a very ordinary day. There was not much to do now except make dinner but she had time before starting, so Korra found herself sitting at the dinner table with her thoughts.

This week has been going by painfully slow for Korra, even for how normal it’s been. She had spent the first two days worrying whether Asami was going to hate her or not but soon found that to be silly.

There were few people in the world that Asami hated and Korra had trouble believing she would end up on the same list. In fact, Korra was starting to think that maybe this wasn’t as bad as she was making it out to be. Previously Korra had the notion that once Asami knew about her feelings, everyone else would. And for someone, who wasn't even truly open about her sexuality, that would've been a problem. Except, Korra was sure Asami wouldn't out her like that, not even to Mako.

What Korra should be focusing on is finding a way to fix the distance that would be put between them once the confession, along with her sexuality, was out there. The opportunity came to her no sooner after. Yet, here she was, staring at her phone in her hands, the screen showing to what should be a reply to a text, but with nothing typed. Yesterday, Korra received a text from Asami to go out for lunch but somewhere along typing a response did Korra begin to think twice about the invite. And it was frustrating because with all that tough talk (or thoughts, in this case) Korra had since yesterday, seeing Asami would definitely bring all those doubts back into the open. She was sure of it and that’s how she came to be in the position she was in right now

“You okay there Korra?” Jinora spoke up from the other side of the dinner table, midway reading through a passage in her math textbook.

“M’fine” Korra mumbled then sat up, knowing well Jinora probably saw right through her, so instead she asked, “What you working on?”

Jinora took her eyes off of Korra’s then looked down at her work. “Oh this? Just some history. Did you know...?” And that was enough for Korra to understand she was off the hook for now. She merely nodded every now and then as Jinora spoke about this and that.

There might be a ton of stuff going on around her and her friends but it wasn't enough to distract Korra from her thoughts on Asami and the message she left. Korra was thoroughly convinced that there was more to the message than a simple lunch invite. Maybe a ploy so they could talk about what happened Friday night? That is, if it isn't about Mako and how he probably made up with Asami on Monday with roses and breakfast...and sex. Korra cringed, sure that she would do whatever it takes to avoid those topics.

Suddenly Jinora’s phone went off, which meant the brief history lecture was over as she took the time to reply to whoever it was. But whoever it was, must’ve been pretty important and if Korra didn’t know better, she would say she had a pretty good idea who it was.

Korra slouched even more in her chair, wondering if she could ever make Asami smile the same way. Even if she did respond back, it was most likely that Asami wouldn't answer right away. So she took a glance at Jinora again, finding her smile before their eyes met. There was a pause.

"What?" Jinora spoke up, cheeks evidently red.

"Why don't you invite Kai over for dinner?" Korra asked nonchalantly even though at the back of her mind she could hear Tenzin disapproving.

"I got a paper due later this week that I haven't started. But maybe next week, I will." Jinora answered then peered over at Korra. "Speaking of, I'm glad to see you out of your room for once. Opal and I was starting to worry. You’re cooking tonight right?"

"Yeah." So much for thinking her roommates didn't notice her strange behavior. "Sorry for making you worry. Everything’s good." Korra added with a small smile

"S'okay." Jinora mumbled and reached for her phone when another notification went off. Korra looked at her own, the screen turned off but she already read the text many times that she could practically see it on the black screen.

Korra was starting to think that maybe she was overthinking all of this. Again.

"Korra?"

"Hm."

"Do you know if Asami will come over later? She's the only one that can help me with calculus. Mr. Tarrlok is seriously the worst teacher I’ve ever had."

"She hadn't said anything but I can asked," Korra mumbled, she turned on her phone but her thumbs twiddled over the touch screen.

"Did you two get into a fight?" Jinora asked when the silence went on for too long.

"Not really, I just haven't talked to her, she's probably busy you know?

“Is that why you’ve been acting weird? Because you guys haven’t talked all day?” Jinora teased.

More like a week, Korra wanted to say but didn’t. Jinora took Korra’s lack of response as a confirmation.

“Wow, you two are more into each other than I thought.” Korra felt her cheeks flush because surely Jinora didn’t mean to say it in the way that Korra was thinking. Maybe Jinora only teased her in such a way because it proved to get the most reaction.

Korra chuckled awkwardly so as to not give anything away. “I bet you wouldn’t say that if Kai stopped talking to you.”

Jinora, for once, didn’t have anything to say. Korra believed this made them even. The younger female returned her attention onto her phone again, a ghost of a smile appearing for the hundredth time that day. It seemed like Kai was the perfect distraction for the usual serious Honor student, which was fine with Korra in this case. She knew lying was never the answer, not when she was told of how much of an open book she can be. All one had to do was call out Korra’s bluffs to get her to admit to lying.

Which made Korra wondered, not for the first time, if Jinora knew about her secret. Which secret? Well the one where she was attracted to someone of the same gender. It made Korra slightly paranoid but also oddly relieved? If that made any sense. Paranoid because she wasn’t sure how coming out would affect the people around her, but also relieved because she wouldn’t be the only one keeping her secret. Keeping in mind that with her latest mistake, Korra had to tread carefully. No more awkward behavior.

Korra straighten up in her seat then tapped the table, to get Jinora’s attention, “What you think of some Korra-styled seaweed noodles for dinner?”

“Oh yes, please.” Jinora looked like she was practically watering at the mouth already. She set her phone down and followed Korra, who was walking to the kitchen, “I’ll help you out.”

“Done with homework?” Korra asked, reassuming her role as the older sister in the apartment.

“Just about, but I’m starving so priorities have to be set.”

Korra couldn’t argue with that.

 

* * *

 

Later that afternoon, after Opal came from work, the three roommates made themselves comfortable on the couch and ate dinner. Korra sat in between Jinora and Opal in order to steal from them after she finished her own plate. Another one of Bolin’s movers was playing, to which no one was watching as they were too busy throwing pieces of food for Korra to catch with her mouth. It was fun, it was great and it was exactly what they all needed to enjoy their evening after a long day.

Jinora was in the kitchen as it was her turn to wash the dishes. Opal rested her head on Korra’s shoulder as she talked about her day working with a new co-worker named Ryu and how much she missed Bolin. Korra poked at her adorable roommate, playfully asking when will the wedding be taking place, causing Opal to blush.

All three of them stopped what they were doing when they heard the doorbell go off. Korra looked at Opal with a grin to tease her friend even further, “Oh I wonder who it is.” Opal slapped her shoulder then got up to get the door, Korra made the move to turn off the mover and follow suit.

“Hi.” It turned out to be Asami and based on her clothes, she must’ve came straight from work. Opal greeted her back with a hug first and then Korra, who did her best to refrained herself and not breathe in Asami’s shampoo.

“Hey yourself.” Korra greeted back. Tiny bells and sound alarms went off in Korra’s head. Warning her to stay away? Most likely. But Korra was still elated to see her best friend after spending most of the week thinking about her.

“Do you want to come in?” Opal asked, which prompted Korra to wonder why Asami was just standing there.

“No, yes, well actually I was hoping we can talk?” Asami was looking straight at Korra, who’s eyes only widened at the suggestion.

Uh oh. Korra felt like she was splash with cold water.

“Is everything okay?” Opal looked between them with one raised eyebrow. Korra’s thoughts ran haywire and her heart wasn’t fairing well either. She almost hadn’t noticed Opal was looking at her too.

With a curt nod to Asami, Korra made a move for a jacket laying nearby and walked past Opal to Asami.

“We’ll be right back,” she announced as she closed the door behind her. Asami said a quiet goodbye before the door was all the way closed.

 

* * *

 

The two best friends then made their way down the stairs and to the first floor in an unfamiliar silence.

“Sorry I didn’t let you know that I was coming by,” Asami was the first to speak up between them. Korra shook her head with her eyes glued to the ground.

“We just finished eating,” Korra explained.

Her whole body was tense and not because there was a chill breeze tonight. Korra didn’t know what to feel at the moment but her instincts were telling her to be prepared for whatever Asami wanted to talk about.

The moment Asami took out Korra's necklace, was the moment Korra thought her peaceful days were over.

"Oh, you found it..." Korra managed to say as she took the necklace. She held it in her hands for a few seconds then attempted to put it on herself.

"I thought you would want it back," Asami’s voice was low, a whisper and it was hard to pinpoint what she could be thinking right now.  

Korra closed her eyes, knowing she had to explain herself. "Listen Asami, I know that I should have told you. I don't really have a good excuse, I was just afraid of how you would react. I thought..." Korra was practically scrambling, doing her best to not specifically mention the confession. With some luck, "...maybe we could pretend nothing happened?"

Why did she think that she would feel better if she got it off her chest? She didn't feel better at all, actually she felt like she was going to be sick. her heart was hammering against her ribcage and her throat uncomfortably dry. She felt the need to swallow every other minute, reminding herself how much she regretted ever opening her mouth. And, oh crap, was she about to cry?

Korra blinked her eyes several times as her vision was indeed watering. Hopeless. Pathetic. The guilt was unbearable, just like the silence between them. Korra couldn't help but think that maybe this was how it was going to be now.

Until Asami spoke up finally, with a soft tone.

"Korra, you're wrong. This isn't your fault." The words that pulled Korra out of her inner turmoil and had her look at Asami with the same teary expression. She watched as Asami shook her head and stared at her car. Those delicate finger, touching the door handle on the passenger side, as she continued, softly and heavy with guilt. "I went too far that night. Believe me, I feel terrible about this as well. I practically forced myself on you and you didn't deserve that."

"Asami...?"

"I'm a horrible friend." Asami said, with a crack in her voice. She was trembling, "And an even worse girlfriend"  Asami took her hand off her car to wipe her cheek.

Suddenly Korra forgot about everything she wanted to ask, instead she asked, "You haven't told him?"

Asami shook her head and Korra didn't like how she immediately felt relieved.

"Should we, uh, talk about that first then?" Korra asked cautiously, swallowing hard. She felt stupid for her previous suggestion, to think they could just forget and pretend when there was another person involved in all of this.

The two flustered friends let the question hung in the air. "I don't think so." Asami spoke first, quietly. "I mean, what more is there to say? I kiss you all the time when I'm drunk. "

"Asami...you know that's not what it was."

"What are you trying to say?"

They locked eyes.

"I-uh-what?"

Right to this point, Korra thought they had been having the same conversation; about Korra confessing her love to Asami as well as the kiss. However, it seemed like Asami was only talking about the kiss that followed after the confession. Would that have meant that Asami didn't remember everything from that night? Or could it be that Asami was also avoiding it?

That was bit of a bitter pill to swallow but perhaps it was for the best. After all, it was Korra who first suggested that they forget everything that happened. Only, her reasoning was to save their friendship so Korra had to wonder what was Asami’s reason.

“I’m sorry for pushing you that one time,” Korra mumbled while motioning to Asami’s shoulder. Asami brought her hand to her spot where the faint showing of the bruise remains. “And for not answering your text too.”

“Yeah, that,” Asami dropped her hand to her side, “I didn’t mean to come off clingy, I just got worried cause I know you hate when I get that drunk in the first place and then you didn’t call or text me. I thought you were mad at me.”

“I promise I’m not mad,” Korra gave her best friend a reassuring smile, just to make sure Asami believed her, “I’m glad you’re here, I missed you.”

Asami gave a Korra a tiny smile which made her insides squirm with delight. A low grumble was heard. And then that same smile turned one into of embarrassment, which made it all the better. “Sorry, I should probably head home now. I haven’t ate dinner yet.”   

Korra frowned at this, knowing that it was well past dinnertime for most people.

“Have you been eating well?”

Asami shrugged.

“Drinking lots of water?”

“If you mean coffee-”

“Sleeping at least 6 hours a day? Has Mako done something again? I swear…” Korra was beginning to feel guilty for actively ignoring Asami when it was very likely that her best friend wasn’t taking care of herself properly. She is, without a doubt the hardest working person Korra has ever met, which also worried her because it wasn’t unusual that Asami would skip a meal because of a meeting or project she was working on.

Asami laughed, “No, no, Mako and I are fine, he’s actually visited me a couple times this week for lunch, the case he’s on is basically over so he’s been doing paperwork at my place,” Asami left it at that.

Korra nodded, more jealous than sad to hear the couple made up already and has been spending time this whole week. “Let’s have lunch later this week,” she suggested.

“Okay,” Asami replied with a nod. “I’m glad I came by, I really missed you Korra. Don’t ignore me ever again,” she said with a pout at the end.

_So cute._

Bringing up Mako again, also reminded Korra about what Asami told her, in regards to Mako not knowing anything. She wanted to ask what Asami planned to do about that, because a part of Korra did still blame herself for what happened.

Asami checked her phone then made her way around to the other side of the car to the driver’s side, causing Korra to put that question on hold. Instead, a lightbulb came off in Korra’s head.

“Do you maybe want some of our leftovers? I made your favorite.” Korra asked, a last minute effort to keep Asami from leaving.

Asami unlocked her car door. “I’m sorry but Mako’s already home with food and I promised I wouldn’t be too late,” She said while holding up her phone, “I’ll text you about lunch okay?”

“Okay,” Korra’s shoulders dropped in disappointment from her plan backfiring. All she could do now was watch and wave from the sidewalk as Asami pulled away from the curb and drove down the street, taking a left turn at the first intersection.  

Korra walked back to her apartment, somewhat talking to herself on the way. No, she didn’t expect the conversation to have gone in that direction. She wanted to know if she did the right thing by not correcting Asami when she had the chance. There was a lot Korra could have done but she also wanted to look at the bright side too: Asami was still talking to her. And now Korra even had the lunch date to look forward to.

_Well, not a date, date._

But Korra would take what she got from tonight and for that she was grateful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters are being edited continuously, but chances are I'll still miss something. For that, I'm sorry!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


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